Closure-operating means



Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITE l, 'r

Prsr'f" Fic @osuna-OPERATING MEANS Application led March 29, 1928. SerialvNo. 265,563.

The object of this invention is to provide simple and reliable means whereby a door or doors of a garage or the like may be operated by a vehicle as an incident ofl its movement on approaching or leaving the same. 'To this end I provide an actuator, as an overhead railV movable lengthwise of the path of the vehicle, suitably connected with the doors, and on the vehicle a suitable abutment for engaging the4 actuator and causing itsmovement. In the best construction the actuator is movable back and forth, in one directionl to openvthe doors and in the other to close them, the wholel system moving to a definite limit in eachdire'ction, and in order that the vehicle passl clear of the actuator when such system is at either limit suitable provision is made as will appear.

In the drawing, Y Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal section of a garage with my mechanism and the vehicle in side elevation and showing (in full lines) the vehicle about to leave the garage, whose doors are closed, the dotted lines showing the positions assumed by the parts when the vehicle has left the garage; f

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the garage with my mechanism and the vehicle in plan, theV parts appearing in full lines the same as 31) they appear in full lines in Fig. 1; and e Figs. 3 and 4 are side and front elevations, partly in section7 of a detail. Y l designates the garage and 2 the hinged doors thereof movable to closed position a; against a stop 3 and to open position toV a limit to be indicated. Y

In suitable overhead hangers 5` arranged kin alinement lengthwise of the garage is shdable longitudinally back and forth the actuator 5, being here a rail; the hangers may be secured to any part of the overhead structure of the garage and to afford proper support for the outer end of said actuator, which when in itsv outerV position projecting appreciably from the garage as shown, one such hanger may be attached to a xedbeam 7, itself projecting from the garage. This rail lhas, one inside and the other outside the garage,depending catches 6, formed say of metal and suitably secured to the rail. Links 8 pivotally connect the respective doors with a stud 9 on the rail. l The vehicle may have some abutment, asia cross-bar l() fixed at a suitable elevation above its roof in bracket l1, to engage the catches.

Either this abutment or the catches should be yielding; in the example, I make the latter yielding by forming them flexible and elastic. The Vlinks 8 areofsuch'length `that when the doo-rs are fully open to the limit afforded by the links each link is substantially perpen 60 dicular to the rail, so that each door is locked against moving closed under wind pressure.

Preferably the rail has means to limit its movements, as the stop la against which its rear end may abut when it moves inward and the stop 4b against which a projection 6b on ,the rail abuts when the rail moves-forward,

j stops 4b and 6b being so positionedasto abut each other when the doors have reached their outer limit.

l 70 Movement ,of the actuator inwardly closes vand movement thereof outwardly opens Vthe doors, as will be obvious. Y Therefore, on

movement of the vehicle t in either direction, j if the system includingthe doors, links andf75. actuator has been previously moved in the rel-` Vatively opposite direction to the limit, the' vehicle (by engagement of bar 10 with one of the catches) will Vmove the system in rely atively. the same direction as it is moving.; when the vehicle must pass either catch at Athe time vsaid system has been moved to its limit in the same direction as the'vehicle is moving the catch yields under the pressure Vof the bar 10,' springing back tonormal posi- 85 v .tion Awhen the `bar clears it. In leaving the `garage therefore, the vehicle in moving back vwould open the doors and having passed first I the inner catch and then-,the outer one, to

close the doors the vehicle would be sufficient# 9a ly returned so that by engagementwith the;l outer catch the closing would result; inenter-l l ing the garage thevehicle would be advanced' till bar 10 passedthe outer catch and then returned to open the doors and then advanced again till bar l() engaged the inner catch and closed the doors. Y

Figs. 3 and 4 show the catches adjustable to different positions along the rail.` A strip of metal to vform each catch has a hook at 12 l1,00

his

f What I claim ils: v

and the end of the strip rebent to form a head` and a bolt 14 removably received in any of y the holes 14a supports the catch as shown with its head bearing squarely against the top of the l(channel) rail. Fig. 4 shows also tionv bearings' for the' fraile Inv the vappended claims, the vexpression support having a vehicle opening. therethrough7 ture here including' the beam 7 and also having as said opening that of which the doors lform the closures and through which the rollersAa on the hangers affording antifric vehicle as described e'iiter's lea-ves the garage. y

Having thus fully described my invention,

Y l. In combination, a support` having a velii'cle op'eiiii'n'gVv therethrough, a closure pivotally movable to close or leave open' said opening, and means, including an act'uatorslidable back `and forth in the support longitudinally of itself and conned to slide ina deliniteV pathleng'thvvise of the pathof travel of a'vehicle' through the' opening', anda lin-lr pivotallyV connecting the* closure and actuator, for' moving the closure' to one of its open or closedposi'tions, said lin-k being substantially perpendicular to the actuator when the closulre is open.

Y 2. vIiicombination, afsupport having afve';

Y liicle opening therethrough, a cllosui'emovable back and forth to close; or leave open said opening, inonedlirection to a definite limit, and means, movable in said support'by the ve'- V hicle, for moving the closure to said limit, said means and4 vehicle having catching' portions stiilly projecting therefrom engageahle With each otlier'to ca-us'e such'inov'ementofSaid meansalndone yof which is' elastic and yieldable'to the other to permit thev vehicle to'I clear saidineans on movement of the closure to said limit'.V n 1 3. n combination, a support having a veliicler opening therethrough, av closure mov'- aole backend-forth to definite limits to close or leave open said opening, and means, in-

cluding an elongatedstiif actuator slidable i hack-and-forth in the support lengthwise ,of

itself and of the path of travel of a-vehicle through the opening, and havingvcatching nieansfstillly projecting therefrom vinside and outside of the opening, for moving the closure i Ato eitlier'limit, said vehicle alsohaving a v,catching inea'nse'ngageahle Withsaid catching @meansof the actuator, and thecatching means i *fof the actuator and vehicle belngelasticaiid f Y yieldahlfe one relatively to the other.'

A LIn testimony whereof I affix my signature.

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is in the example thefvgarage strucy 

